China warns Australia over MP's comments

China has warned comments by a federal government backbencher comparing the nation's rise to Nazi Germany are detrimental to diplomatic relations.

Andrew Hastie, the chair of parliament's powerful security and intelligence committee, says Australia will over the next decade face its biggest democratic, economic and security test as China and the US compete for global dominance.

The West Australian MP has warned against underestimating China, pointing to the experience of Europe in the face of an aggressive Nazi regime in the 1940s.

But China says its "peaceful development is an opportunity, not a threat to the world".

"We strongly deplore the Australian federal MP Andrew Hastie's rhetoric on 'China threat' which lays bare his Cold-War mentality and ideological bias," a Chinese embassy Australia spokesman said on Thursday.

"It goes against the world trend of peace, cooperation and development. It is detrimental to China-Australian relations."

When asked about risks posed by China, the soon-to-be boss of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Mike Burgess said the threat of foreign interference and espionage was "very real, very serious".